In a significant development, leading crypto exchange OKX is making its first major institutional infrastructure move in the United States, partnering with publicly listed digital asset custodian BitGo to roll out off-exchange settlement for its American institutional clients.
The integration connects OKX to BitGo’s Off-Exchange Settlement platform, allowing institutional clients to trade on OKX while their assets remain in segregated, regulated custody at BitGo. Assets are not transferred to or held on the exchange itself.
“The integration will enable institutional clients to trade on OKX while keeping assets in segregated, regulated custody at BitGo. Assets are not transferred or held on exchange, reducing or eliminating pre-funding requirements across venues, improving capital efficiency, reducing counterparty exposure,” the company said.
OKX US CEO Roshan Robert billed the partnership as a direct response to what institutional clients demand when entering crypto markets. “Institutional capital entering crypto requires capital to be protected and to be put to work,” he said. “Our proprietary custody infrastructure has been proven at scale, and our partnership with BitGo gives clients flexibility in how they protect assets while freeing capital to work harder.”
Meanwhile, OKX Global CEO Star Xu echoed that position, saying that protecting customer assets has always been a core foundation of the exchange. “At the same time, we’ve expanded our custody partnerships with trusted leaders like BitGo to give clients greater flexibility and choice in how they secure their assets,” he added.
The BitGo integration is one of OKX’s first institutional infrastructure steps in the US since Intercontinental Exchange invested in the company at a $25 billion valuation in early March, with ICE executives taking a board seat at the exchange. Following that investment, Xu said the partnership would shape OKX’s approach to the American market, describing the company’s local presence as a “blank sheet of paper.”
OKX officially reentered the US market in April 2025, around the same time it appointed former Barclays director Roshan Robert as its US CEO.
